


Opening Ceremony

by nanuk_dain



Series: Drift Compatible [48]
Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, M/M, PBC (Post-Breach-Collapse), Post-Movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-10-11 07:31:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17442596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanuk_dain/pseuds/nanuk_dain
Summary: The World Victory Tour is kicked off with a rather huge opening ceremony in Hong Kong, meticulously planned to enthral the public. Raleigh could have done without it, and Chuck whole-heartedly agrees.





	Opening Ceremony

**Author's Note:**

> And the story goes on! I haven't forgotten about this universe, and it's not abandoned either, it's just my very much interfering RL that got in the way of writing. I hope I'll have a bit more time now that I'm done with uni (still waiting for my grades, though... -_-).

_Hong Kong, February 1st 2015_

 

"I really could do without this." Chuck complains for the twentieth time and pulls on the collar of his uniform. Just like all the pilots he's wearing his dress uniform, but he's the only one moaning about it. 

Raleigh mostly ignores it, he's too distracted by how good Chuck looks right now. He has never seen Chuck in full dress uniform before, and it's a sight he wouldn't mind being treated to more often. The prospect of it being a regular occurrence during the promotional tour suddenly makes it much more appealing. Especially if he gets the opportunity to peel Chuck out of his clothes afterwards - slowly, layer by layer. Raleigh hides his grin at the delicious mental image, but the fact that Chuck's face turns towards him with a pointedly raised eyebrow tells him that Chuck caught the gist of his thoughts anyway. Raleigh doesn't mind, especially if it distracts Chuck from complaining.

"Stop whining, Baby Hansen." Sasha chides him with a frosty glance from the other side of the room. Her Russian accent makes the words even more powerful and at the same time somewhat chilly and disapproving. Raleigh is pretty sure she cultivates that effect.

"Don't call me that!" Chuck not only visibly bristles at the name, Raleigh can also feel his outrage flaring over the ghost drift, complete with the beginning of a temper tantrum. If there's one thing Chuck can't stand, it's not being taken seriously. 

Sasha is entirely unimpressed by an angry Chuck and just casually shrugs one shoulder. "You're behaving like a baby, after all. I don't hear anybody else whine." 

Raleigh carefully hides his smirk - Sasha does have a point, after all - to not provoke Chuck into a full out explosion. It would be really bad timing just minutes before they're scheduled to make their first public appearance for the start of the World Victory Tour. He's also reasonably sure that Sasha would kick Chuck's ass, and he doesn't think that adding injury to insult will in any way improve the situation.

"She's called you that ever since she first met you." Aleksis adds with a gleam in his eyes that Raleigh is sure means that he's laughing his ass off on the inside. "Doesn't matter how old you are, doesn't matter if you whine or not, you're Baby Hansen."

At that point Raleigh steps up close behind Chuck to take a firm hold of both of his arms to keep him from doing something spectacularly stupid, like attacking Aleksis. He's not sure how things would have gone if a crew member hadn't come in, shouting, "Entrance in five minutes, get ready to appear on stage, please!"

It breaks the tension by diverting their attention to something else, and Raleigh is glad for it. Aleksis gets up from where he's been lounging on one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs that the PPDC seems to have an unlimited supply of and joins Sasha at the door of the makeshift common room. They both look so badass in their dress uniform that it's hard to look away. For Aleksis, it's not really difficult to look impressive, it comes naturally for him just because of his height and bulk. Still, he's obviously made an effort tonight, his hair seems freshly bleached and his beard is carefully trimmed. Sasha looks as impeccable as always, her hair is neatly braided in her usual fashion and she put on a quite prominent red lipstick that in a strange way compliments the healing laceration on her forehead, which is still covered by two butterfly bandages. It makes her look feminine and tough as nails at the same time, a look that she has definitely perfected over the years. 

Raleigh is sure her fans will swoon over her tonight, and Aleksis won't get any less outright admiration. Raleigh dearly hopes that they'll attract a great deal of the attention so that it'll take the focus off him and Chuck. Raleigh is distinctly uncomfortable with the media attention they're going to get, and Chuck usually turns into an arrogant jerk when faced with the press. Both are not exactly a good prospect for a positive impression in the public eye. 

Before the Russians can leave the improvised room set up at the back of the stage, the Wei Tang brothers sneak past them in the most outright provoking fashion. Maybe 'sneaking' isn't quite the right word considering that Jin is on crutches and Hu and Cheung sit in wheelchairs due to their multiple broken bones. They're awfully quick and agile, though, and they make it a point to push past the Russians to get through the door ahead of them. The brothers quite obviously enjoy dressing up for the opportunity, if the pristine state of their uniforms is anything to go by. Of all of the pilots, they probably enjoy the spotlight the most. Raleigh assumes that it has to do with the convenient fact that they can all pass off as somebody else when they feel like it. 

Sasha shouts something rather nasty after the brothers who've long since disappeared down the hall. It's a mystery to Raleigh how they manage to move so fast in their condition.

Raleigh lets his hands slide from their firm grip on Chuck's arms to settle gently on his waist when the others file out of the room, but Chuck remains stationary. He starts walking and manoeuvres Chuck towards the door to follow behind their fellow Rangers. The ghost drift tells him that Chuck's anger has receded and he's not likely to attack anyone right now. Raleigh isn't quite certain that that state will prevail once they're on on stage. Depending on the intrusiveness of the questions they'll get asked, it might revert right back to the point where Chuck wants to hit somebody.

Raleigh remembers the interview with Naomi all too well, and he really hopes something like that won't happen again. It was one of the most uncomfortable and even outright painful interviews that he's ever had to sit through, and it took him the rest of the day to get Chuck to really unwind again afterwards. Raleigh is sure that Naomi really didn't mean to upset them, since her surprised reaction and sincere apology showed that she had stumbled into it and hadn't aimed for it. It was the only reason Raleigh had let her off the hook, because while they hadn't parted on the best of terms back in his academy days, he'd always thought that she wasn't a bad person. 

Chuck lets himself be guided out of the door and towards the side entrance of the stage that was set up in the main Jaeger bay for the event. He never makes any attempt to shake Raleigh's hold on his waist or bring any distance between them. It still surprises Raleigh sometimes how comfortable Chuck is with affectionate touches in more or less public settings. It probably shouldn't, though - Chuck clearly never cared whether or not he pissed off the public. He's also not shy with being the one doing the touching, although all of it always remains quite tame as long as they're not alone. Raleigh guesses that that experience in the elevator, when Tendo had to untangle their dog tag chains, put him off anything that might cause a repeat of that situation. Raleigh is pretty sure he's most horrified of the prospect of his dad walking in on them.

When they reach the side entrance to the stage, Raleigh spots Mako standing with the rest of the group, waiting for their cue to enter. She looks pristine and very professional in her Ranger dress uniform. She always looks professional - somehow she even manages in grease-covered J-Tech overalls - but it's even more pronounced in this specific attire. It's only now that Raleigh realises that he never saw her in anything other than her J-Tech overalls, a drivesuit or a hospital gown. He knows from the drift that she does actually own other clothes, but he wonders if she ever wears them. Maybe she just never gets the opportunity to do so - she always seems to be working in some PPDC capacity. Raleigh resolves to get her out for a few hours of being a tourist sometime during the tour. He'll talk to Ms Jones and make sure to get some time off with Mako when she joins them for her appearance on select events. Somewhere nice. He'll have to check their schedules to pick a good spot and plan it ahead of time.

Just before Raleigh and Chuck reach the others, Pentecost and Herc come through the door at the other side of the improvised backstage area. They walk next to each other, projecting an aura of unity that Raleigh never saw them display that openly before, although it's been there as long as he can remember. Raleigh immediately notices that Pentecost is wearing his Marshal's dress uniform instead of his statement suit. Raleigh is well aware that it's a calculated move to make a point, just like _not_ wearing his uniform was after the UN shut down the Jaeger Program. Pentecost never does anything without a reason behind it, and it usually works very well. 

Herc is wearing a Marshal's uniform too - and now if _that_ isn't a statement. It's well-known PPDC policy that there can only be one Marshal per Shatterdome, and considering that there's only one working Shatterdome right now, there should be only _one_ Marshal. Fact is that Herc and Pentecost are sharing the responsibilities, though, and Raleigh approves of them openly confirming that fact. It would have felt wrong to diminish Herc's role in the PPDC's post-Breach development, same as it would have been wrong to strip Pentecost off his rank due to suffering severe injuries in the course of Operation Pitfall. The secret, pleased little smile on Mako's face tells him that she shares his opinion.

Herc obviously shaved and got a haircut for today's media appearance, and Raleigh has problems linking the neat military man with the usually so casual Herc Hansen that he came to know over the past few weeks. There are several butterfly bandages covering the long gash on the left side of his face, though, and in Raleigh's opinion they're a reminder of the real Herc and contribute to his rugged badass appearance. Herc's arm is still in a cast, so is Pentecost's. It kind of completes their matching look and Raleigh can't help finding it a rather amusing coincidence. Maybe it's the uniforms as well as the casts that add to the aura of unity, Raleigh thinks with a smirk.

Pentecost nods at the assembled Rangers in greeting and gives Mako a little smile that she returns. Raleigh likes to see her content, and it's obvious that she enjoys the little gesture of affection from Pentecost. Herc gives first Chuck and then Mako a quick and slightly lopsided smile, then he offers a nod to Raleigh. It feels like he's making an effort with Chuck, and the little wave of contentedness that Raleigh picks up over the ghost drift tells him that Chuck appreciates it. Those two have a long way to go, but Raleigh thinks they'll get there at some point.

They only need to wait another minute before the stage aid sends them out on the stage, perfectly timed to the announcement of their names. Pentecost and Herc go first, followed by Sasha and Aleksis, then the Wei Tang brothers and Mako, and finally Raleigh hears his and Chuck's names. They start walking out on the stage, only to be blinded by the spotlights that illuminate the stage to the point that Raleigh can't really make out more than rough shapes in the audience. Raleigh's instinctive response is to shield his eyes and leave the stage, and he has to fight the urge. Instead he forces the smile that is expected from him, waves to the audience in the way he was instructed during the rehearsals and makes his way over to the chair assigned to him. He can feel the same kind of unease coming from Chuck, but he's a lot better in keeping up his media face because he's lived with this kind of event for much of his life. 

Raleigh is glad when the attention focusses on those that come on stage after him. He forgot how much he dislikes the intense attention of the press. He's been out of the spotlight for years, and back then he was a different person, someone who actually enjoyed the attention. Herc managed to keep all the Rangers protected in the aftermath of Operation Pitfall to such an extent that Raleigh never even realised how great the interest in them really is. Now, though, there's no denying it. The crowd is going crazy over them, that much is clear even if Raleigh can't see much of them. The cheering and the applause well up at every person coming on stage and doesn't stop for a few minutes after they're all seated. It leaves Raleigh feeling awkward, just sitting there in the spotlight like an insect under the microscope with nothing to do but keep up his fake smile and wait for the torture to start. 

They are a huge group, including next to the Rangers also the scientists and Tendo as the LOCCENT representatives. Ms James decided to have them sit in a half circle with the three hosts seated in regular intervals between them. Most prominent is Ming Wu, a hugely popular actress and singer in China with a big influence in the media, and she's been a self-professed fan of the Wei Tang brothers ever since their first rise to fame. The other host is Sandra MacKenzie, a respected international politics journalist from the USA, who was one of the few very vocal prominent supporters of the Jaeger Program when it was being shut down. The third host is Mikhail Borodin from Russia, a legend in the international engineering community and one of the original designers of the Jaegers, who retired long before the decline of the Jaeger Program. He is in his late seventies now and agreed to host the show as the technical expert. 

Raleigh is impressed how Ms James managed to get those three on board, considering not only their widely different backgrounds but also the effect their involvement with the promotional tour will have. She made sure to cover pop culture as well as serious reporting and technical expertise to create the maximum interest, reliability and credibility in the audience. She certainly is brilliant at her job. It's almost scary.

Once the cheering has quieted down, the hosts efficiently present everybody and give a short description of their role in the PPDC and the closure of the Breach. Afterwards Tendo and Mako are asked to give the audience a quick rundown of the events leading up to Operation Pitfall as well as the attack itself. Raleigh is glad that the attention is not on him for now. It's the first time he hears the complete events from on omniscient point of view instead of his limited perspective while experiencing it first hand, and it's not very pleasant to be reminded of everything that happened. Operation Pitfall does certainly no range among his favourite memories. He feels the same unease from Chuck, but when Raleigh glances at him, his face is perfectly neutral. 

Raleigh sits through the description of the second worse day of his life and is glad when Mako and Tendo finish their part of the interview. He doesn't give into the relief, though, because he knows it'll only get worse. The PR guys put together a short compilation of the video footage taken during Operation Pitfall and the double event preceding it, and today will be the first time any footage of the mission is released to the public. Since the entire evening is broadcast all over the world and the interest in the classified material is immense, Amanda James decided to make the most of it and integrate it into the opening ceremony of her damn PR tour. It'll raise viewer numbers, which in turn will raise the money they make off this event. And while Raleigh understands her reasons for doing this, he also resents her for making him live through it all over again - while having dozens of cameras pointed at him. He knows many of the others share his misgivings, although nobody voiced them to her. Duty comes first, for all of them.

Ming Wu announces the showing of the video on Operation Pitfall with great skill, making sure to raise the expectations and get the audience to feel thrilled to get access to the footage. Raleigh reluctantly has to give it to her that she knows how to play an audience, she's subtle yet very efficient. The lights in the Jaeger Bay are dimmed and then the video begins playing on multiple large screens placed so that they're visible from everywhere in the large bay. 

Raleigh technically knew what to expect, but it's actually worse than he thought it would be. He's glad that the lights don't allow for the cameras to pick up his face because he doesn't entirely manage to keep it neutral. He's quite sure he sees Sasha and Aleksis tense when the destruction of Cherno Alpha is shown at the beginning of the sequence, and the Wei Tang brothers don't look very happy either when the recording of Crimson Typhoon's defeat flickers over the multiple screens.

The worst for Raleigh is to feel the sudden and intense pain in Chuck when the thermonuclear bomb goes off, the moment of silence afterwards worse than anything the narrator could have said. Raleigh feels how Chuck fights against the memories of losing his dad, of feeling the connection between them being severed. Even the knowledge that Herc is still alive, sitting only a few feet away from him, doesn't dim the memories of the pain he felt back then. Raleigh desperately wants to reach out and wrap his arms around Chuck, shield him from the world and give him the time to regain his composure, but he knows he can't do that now, not with dozens of cameras and millions of people watching. He can't even hold Chuck's hand. He makes sure to send warmth and reassurance over the ghost drift instead, it's the only thing he can think of doing that won't be caught on camera.

As if to make it worse, the narrator spells out the presumed loss of Pentecost and Herc. Raleigh will forever be grateful that the PR guys didn't include Chuck shouting for his dad when the bomb went off. He's sure Chuck wouldn't have been able to keep it together if they had. And probably Herc wouldn't have been, either. Raleigh wonders if he ever watched the entire recordings, if he heard the panic and pain in Chuck's voice. It might explain a thing or two about his change in behaviour towards Chuck. Still, it's not something that needs to be put on the big screen for millions of strangers to watch. Amanda James obviously agrees with that, Raleigh assumes it's her who kept it out of the video. From a publicist's point of view, it's too good a scene to leave out - it's highly emotional and raw and would work well to gain the sympathy of the audience. But on the other hand Ms James always made sure to respect the privacy of the PPDC personnel, which is one of the reasons Raleigh agreed to work with her for this tour. 

It's when the narrator gets to the part where Chuck was waiting for Raleigh's escape pod to reach the ocean's surface that Raleigh feels another spike of pain over the ghost drift, this one even more intense than the first. 

_"Where's Raleigh?"_ The recording of Chuck's voice echoes through the Jaeger bay, distorted because it was transmitted through the comms at the time of recording. 

_"Chuck? Chuck, are you all right?"_ Tendo answers, the relief obvious in his voice.

_"I'm fine. Tendo, where's Raleigh? Where's his pod? Did he eject?"_

_"We don't know, Chuck. We're getting no signal from the pod at all."_

_"What do you mean? You don't even know if he made it out?"_ The rising panic in Chuck's voice is palpable even through the distortion of the comms. It pains Raleigh to hear him like that and to know that he himself is the reason for it.

_"No, we don't."_ The recording of the mission communication ends there and the narrator picks up again, but Raleigh doesn't pay it any attention anymore. He's too focussed on the barely suppressed anguish coming over the ghost drift. A quick glance shows him that Chuck has tensed up while still trying not to let it show. He jaw is clenched, his brows are furrowed, his breathing has sped up and his grip on the armrests seems painfully tight. Raleigh can tell that he's very close to getting up and leaving and he knows why that is. 

It's too much, hits too close to home, brings up things that Chuck isn't even close to coming to terms with. Watching it spelled out for the world on a big screen is like digging a finger into an infected wound. Raleigh remembers Chuck telling him about it, that morning under the shower only two days after Raleigh had come out of coma. He remembers only too well how blinding Chuck's pain had been, transmitted involuntarily over their ghost drift when Chuck told him that he had thought Raleigh dead. And while Raleigh knows that it was necessary to include the events in the video, he wishes there would have been a way to spare Chuck reliving it all. Instead he concentrates on calming Chuck even without being able to touch him. He's glad for their strong ghost drift that allows him to at least mentally touch Chuck, even if it's not as effective a way to ease his pain when it's not combined with physical contact. It'll have to do for now. 

Raleigh allows himself a quick breath of relief when the video ends and the lights are still dim enough that the cameras won't pick up on it. He throws Chuck a quick glance and a reassuring smile, relieved to see it returned, even if it's a little pinched. When the lights increase again, Chuck is back to his professional face. 

MacKenzie takes the lead of the discussion this time, the topic more political than the afore retelling of events. Pentecost and Herc are an image of competence and even Raleigh is impressed by their performance. There's no doubt they're in charge and know what they're doing and where they want to go with the PPDC. Raleigh has never doubted that, he's seen too much of both of them in action. But all those people all over the planet who didn't have that privilege will certainly be convinced after this evening. Strong and competent leadership is essential for the success of any institution, especially one like the PPDC that is missing any official backing since the UN basically shut down the Jaeger Program. And Raleigh knows nobody, least of all Pentecost or Herc, is willing to get back under the UN's thumb. That means the PPDC has to prove itself in light of the current global scrutiny to keep its footing and strengthen its position as a protective force against a global threat - even thought it's not a threat right now, but might be again pretty soon. Their standing would indeed be much more secure if the threat was a little more imminent that is currently is, but Raleigh is glad the Kaiju haven't returned yet. Earth would be overrun within days as the situation is right now. He's reasonably sure that knowledge - that _fear_ \- is the only thing keeping the PPDC from being officially disbanded now that the Breach is closed.

After the half-hour break, Borodin takes over the lead of the discussion when it turns more technical. Caitlin Lightcap and Newton Geiszler are in the main focus with Dr Gottlieb interfering only here and there. He's obviously a rather reluctant participant, and Raleigh wonders what drastic measures were necessary to make him come on the stage and then actually stay there. Newt on the other hand is as eccentric as he is captivating in his enthusiasm, and Raleigh is sure he's going to have his own fanclub by the end of the night. The discussion touches on the topic of Newt's and Gottlieb's drift with Baby Otachi and the astonishing and highly important insights they gained through the experiment. That leads to Caitlin explaining the basic concept of the pons, of drift compatibility and of course of the perfect match phenomenon.

Obviously the next step is to address the Rangers directly - the moment Raleigh has dreaded the most. It starts with the Kaidanovskys as the most famous perfect match and soon includes Pentecost and Herc. Of course the questions are also aimed at Chuck and Raleigh as the newest perfect match, but Raleigh is very glad for the Wei Tang brothers' enthusiastic involvement and their captivating presence. They easily get the audience riled up in cheers, and the Kaidanovskys also get their fair share of attention and outright admiration. Neither the triplets nor the Russians seem to particularly mind the attention, in fact, the triplets seem to bask in it. 

Raleigh remains mostly quiet and only speaks when he's addressed directly. He notices that Chuck isn't quite that reserved, but his comments tend to be short and pointed, especially when Ming Wu enthusiastically asks them about details of their trip down the throat into the "Kaiju's realm", as she likes to call it. Raleigh is tempted to tell her that it's not a goddam computer game, but he bites his tongue just in time. When Chuck points out the harsh nature of the experience with pretty similar words to those Raleigh would have chosen, though, Raleigh can't quite hide the pleased smirk. Somehow Chuck can get away with such behaviour without it negatively impacting on his popularity, something that Raleigh is sure wouldn't work for him. It's probably because the media are used to Chuck's direct and often rude responses, while they still remember Raleigh as the confident, cheerful jock he was before Knifehead. Since he never made a public appearance afterwards, he can hardly blame them, though. 

Once they've covered the topic of the closure of the Breach, the hosts move on to the future of the PPDC and its function in the world. Tendo and Herc tell the audience about the reopening of the Proving Ground and the Ranger Academy, then Mako talks about the new Mark series and the Civilian Explorers and how they'll integrate in the new structure of the PPDC. Borodin gets involved again, he's in on the projects as a technical advisor and has obviously already worked with Mako. They play well together in order to make the technical details comprehensible for the mostly lay audience, and Raleigh is impressed by their competence. He's sure it increases Mako's already great standing with the public, making her appear not only smart, competent and polite, but also utterly likeable as a very good and patient teacher. She's really perfect as the face of the PPDC, although it's hardly her main task and she mostly just stumbled into the role. 

Raleigh is glad to know that they're approaching the end of the on-stage discussion round, which is finally there after another twenty minutes of questions from members of the audience. At least there are no overly embarrassing questions, if one ignores the marriage proposals Jin Wei Tang and Chuck receive. 

The applause is still going strong after they have left the stage. Raleigh takes a deep breath once he's out of the spotlight as well as the sight of the cameras. He tries not to relax too much, though, because the evening is far from over. Now that the live show has finished, there will be a meet-and-greet with a select group of guests, starting in about half an hour. The stars of the World Victory Tour are expected to mingle with the guests during a sort of after-show party held in an auxiliary Jaeger bay. Raleigh knows that's just a nice way of saying that they're supposed to be charming and leave a good impression to woo potential donors. He hates it, but he knows it's necessary. The interviews and admittance fees alone won't generate the amount of money the PPDC so desperately needs.

They all file out in different directions to spend their half-hour break in whatever fashion they want. Mako leaves with Pentecost and Herc, the three of them in some sort of discussion. The Wei Tang brothers have already disappeared by the time Raleigh and Chuck get off the stage, and Raleigh can't help wondering yet again how the heck they manage to move so swiftly and silently considering their physical impairment. The Kaidanovkys and Caitlin are just about to leave the backstage area with Newt and Dr Gottlieb trailing behind them, bickering in the way that Raleigh by now associates with the two scientists. 

When Raleigh stops by the door of the makeshift backstage room, he feels Chuck come up behind him and then two strong arms sneak around his waist and a chin settles on his shoulder. Over the ghost drift follows a wave of reassurance, tinged with the same annoyance at the remainder of the evening that Raleigh himself feels too. 

"We survived Operation Pitfall, we'll survive this evening." Chuck murmurs in a rather dry voice that tells Raleigh that he's also very much _not_ looking forward to the meet-and-greet. 

"I'm not sure what is worse, though." Raleigh sighs and wishes he was back in a Jaeger instead of facing the assembled rich inhabitants and celebrities of the Pan Pacific countries. They're worse than any Kaiju.

"Yeah, me neither." Chuck agrees with a deep sigh. They're silent for a moment, and Raleigh closes his eyes and enjoys Chuck's closeness and the soothing presence of their ghost drift. 

"But hey, so far I haven't punched anybody." There's no mistaking the sarcasm in Chuck's voice, and Raleigh feels a smile come to his lips. "And believe me, I was seriously tempted more than once. So, we might just make it through the evening without me causing public outrage."

"I'm so proud of you." Raleigh replies with a chuckle. "Want to go to the roof and enjoy a moment of peace and quiet before we have to spend the rest of the evening in the lion's den?"

"Oh yeah, that sounds awesome." Chuck agrees enthusiastically and pecks Raleigh on the cheek before he lets go of him. He takes Raleigh's hand and almost drags him towards the auxiliary elevator that is one of the few that actually exit on the roof. Raleigh chuckles at Chuck's eagerness to get out of here, away from the people and most of all the cameras. He can tell that it's more than that, though. Chuck needs the fresh air and the space and the view of the vastness of the ocean to regain his centre after the nasty memories he had to relive during the opening ceremony. Raleigh feels the urge simmer in him, it transmits over the ghost drift because Chuck doesn't bother to hide it. He knows that Raleigh not only understands the feeling, but actually shares it. 

When they leave the elevator, it becomes obvious that they're not the only ones with the bright idea to escape to the roof. Sasha and Aleksis are leaning against the railing, each a vodka glass in their hand, their shoulders pressed together. Sasha throws them a quick glance when the elevator doors open, and the hostility it holds disappears when she recognises who came up to the roof. _Her_ roof, her gaze says pointedly, but with a quick nod she allows them to stay and share it. Raleigh returns the nod and takes Chuck's hand to guide him to a spot as far away from Sasha and Aleksis as possible to make sure not to inflict on their privacy. He knows better than to cross Sasha Kaidanovsky. 

Chuck comes to stand behind him when they reach the railing and wraps his arms around Raleigh's waist again, just as he did when they'd come off stage. It feels as if he's taking comfort in the embrace as much as he tries to offer it to Raleigh. 

"I hated the video of Pitfall." Chuck murmurs into Raleigh's shoulder after a long moment of silence, his breath warm on Raleigh's neck. 

"Yeah, I felt it." Raleigh replies and makes a point of leaning into Chuck's embrace. "I didn't much like it, either."

He feels Chuck nod where his nose is buried against the side of Raleigh's neck, but they both remain silent. There's no need for words. Raleigh savours the way their closeness and the ghost drift allow him to recharge, knowing that it's the same for Chuck. Just being up here, looking out over the ocean that's reflecting the city's night lights, feeling the pleasant breeze on his face and Chuck's warmth in his back is enough to make his strength return.

"The half hour is over." Raleigh remarks when his alarm beeps quietly. He can't quite keep the reluctance out of his voice, but he makes an effort. "Now let's get the PPDC some money with our utterly charming personalities."

"That's the spirit." Chuck presses a lingering kiss to Raleigh's neck before he lets go of him and bumps his shoulder into his. 

Raleigh returns the little bump, then he cracks his neck and straightens his shoulders. "Off we go."

It's almost 1.30 am by the time they make it back to their quarters. To describe the evening as 'long' and 'demanding' would be an understatement. Raleigh has lost count of the many people with whom he had to make polite conversation and he feels like it'll take a sledgehammer to scrape the fake charming smile off his face. He can do small talk when necessary - he even could before Ms James insisted on a crash course for all participants of the World Victory Tour who will have to deal with the public - but he finds it exhausting. It's just not like him to talk about meaningless things as if they're oh so interesting. 

He also didn't enjoy having to politely reject countless advances by female and male attendees of the meet-and-greet, most of which were not very subtly offering him their bed for the night - or more. He knows that pretty much every other Ranger got the same attention, probably with Pentecost as the only exception because his mere presence forbids such offers. For a crazy moment Raleigh wonders if he glared away any person approaching Herc in that fashion, and that's when Raleigh is sure that he's beyond exhausted and well into delirious. He's never been particularly interested in Pentecost's intimate relationships, after all, and he still isn't. 

Raleigh follows Chuck through the heavy metal door of their quarters and pushes it shut behind him. The hollow clank of it closing feels like it's shutting out the world, and that is quite the welcome feeling right now. Raleigh could do without the rest of the world for a few days after this evening. He also really wants to kill the guys from the PR department for planning the next stop of the tour in Taipei for tomorrow evening - as if they hadn't known how late tonight's obligations would get! It means they're not even allowed to sleep in tomorrow. The thought alone makes Raleigh cranky. He's not that much thinking about peeling Chuck out of his dress uniform anymore, he's way too tired. And now _that_ is just sad. 

"Boy, I'm dead on my feet." Chuck huffs and falls backwards on the bed, dress uniform and all. It looks so tempting that Raleigh allows himself to slump down next to him. The usually hard mattress suddenly feels heavenly to his weary body.

"And this was only the first day of _six weeks_." Raleigh adds with his voice close to a whine. He turns his head enough so that he can look at Chuck. "What did we agree to, Charlie?"

"Hell. PR-induced hell." Chuck replies instantly.

Although he's exhausted, Raleigh can't help chuckling at that. "You know you're still forbidden to hit any reporters, don't you? No matter how much they are part of this specific kind of hell." 

"Hrmpf." Chuck grumbles non-committally. "What about noisy hosts?"

"Nope."

"The PG guys?"

"Nope." Raleigh shrugs after a moment of considering it. "Well, maybe. Right now I'm willing to make an exception for them."

"Great." Chuck sounds pleased. "Annoying fans?"

"Sorry, no." At this Raleigh actually really feels sorry, because he remembers only too well how handsy some fans can get, and tonight was a good reminder. It never particularly bothered him before Knifehead, but it sure does now. He's not the same guy anymore, after all. So he adds with a shrug, "Okay, but only in self-defence."

Chuck chuckles gleefully. "Awesome."

"Case of emergency only, Charlie. Like self-defence." Raleigh feels compelled to narrow his permission before it gets out of hand and he gets blames for it. "And don't kill the fan, okay? That's bad press. Ms James will have your head if you create any bad press."

Chuck shudders next to him. "She's scary."

"Yeah, don't come between her and her goal to promote the PPDC." Raleigh agrees quietly. Although Ms James is rather small and petite, she sure is like a dog with a bone concerning the PPDC's reputation. Raleigh will make sure not to cross her if it's not absolutely necessary. She really is a bit scary. He's sure she could ruin his - well, anyone's - life quickly and efficiently if she ever set her mind to it.

"I'm so tired, I think I'll just stay right here and sleep in my uniform." Chuck murmurs next to him, obviously already well on his way to falling asleep.

"Great idea." Raleigh agrees and lets his eyes drift shut. He feels absolutely boneless, even lifting his head seems like an insurmountable task. It's mostly the thought of waking up tomorrow with a badly hurting shoulder that makes him open his eyes again. It's still not entirely healed, and he knows it will make him pay for sleeping in his dress uniform in this rather uncomfortable position half on and half off the bed. 

Raleigh sighs deeply and then pushes himself into a sitting position with quite an effort. "Come on, Charlie, let's get out of our uniforms and ready for bed."

"'m good." Chuck's reply is more a low rumble than actual words.

"No, you're not." Raleigh disagrees with more spirit than he actually feels, and bends down to unlace his shoes. "You'll bitch all day tomorrow about the crick in your neck you'll get from sleeping like this."

"I don't bitch." Chuck grumbles, but it's obviously half-hearted, and he still hasn't bothered to open his eyes. He's lying with his back spreading almost diagonally across the two beds they pushed together as soon as they moved into their new quarters. One of his legs is dangling in the air, the other is planted on the ground, and his arms are raised above his head. He looks like a doll that a kid carelessly threw on the bed, and he doesn't seem to have the tiniest intention to move.

"Yes, you do bitch. Often. And passionately." Raleigh argues and kicks off first the right, then the left shoe. "Ask anyone, they'll attest that it's your favourite hobby."

Chuck just grunts, but doesn't reply otherwise. Raleigh groans like an old man when he gets off the bed to put his shoes away. He undoes the buttons on his jacket and hangs it in the locker, followed by his dress shirt and pants. 

"I'll get a glass of ice water and empty it on your head." Raleigh sing-songs while he makes his way to the bathroom only in his boxers. 

"You wouldn't." Chuck sound absolutely sure of that until Raleigh opens the tab and pointedly fills a glass. Only then does Chuck open an eye and turn his head so that he can look at Raleigh with a frown of doubt on his face. "Would you?"

"Do you really want to find out?" Raleigh asks with a smirk and raises the glass in his hand. He's still in the bathroom and thus too far away to be a real threat, but Chuck considers him suspiciously.

"You're mean." Chuck mutters after glaring at Raleigh for a minutes or two. 

"I'm only doing this in your best interest."

"Yeah, sure." Chuck snorts and slowly heaves himself into a sitting position as if he's also an old man. He remains sitting on the edge of the bed for a while before he bends down and undoes his shoes. Raleigh keeps watching him for a moment to make sure that he won't just fall back on the mattress again and go to sleep. 

"You'll thank me for it tomorrow." Raleigh says with a smile and raises the glass of water to drink when he sees Chuck get up off the bed. He shuffles over to his own locker, pulling off various pieces of clothing and hangs them carefully. If the Academy instilled one thing into all of its Rangers, it's to be mindful and neat with all their things. It works on both of them, even when they're half asleep, Raleigh thinks with a smirk and then starts brushing his teeth. Chuck joins him in the bathroom a minute later, and it doesn't take long before he shuffles back to the beds and falls down with a pleased groan. Raleigh follows him after switching off the lights, something Chuck obviously didn't even think about. 

"Now, sleep." Chuck insists and drags Raleigh down by his wrist when he's next to the bed. Raleigh chuckles and follows willingly. He's out before his head even hits the pillow. 

The next morning, when they show up in the mess for breakfast, it's brimming with enthusiastic activity and plenty of talk. It doesn't take long to find out why: The opening ceremony was a huge success and the media burst with reports about it. There's great - renewed - interest in the Jaeger Program and all its participants, from the J-Tech and K-Science to the Rangers and even LOCCENT. There are countless accounts of the evening by those who got to visit the Jaeger bay, not to mention the many fans crooning about their respective star in their blogs, vlogs and other social media channels. It's not surprising that the Rangers get a lot of that specific interest, but it also seems that Newt has developed quite the following and is quickly rising to fame, especially with the young and nerdy audience. Sasha just rolls her eyes when Newt repeats for the umpteenth time that he's a certified rock star now.

They ship out to Taipei soon after breakfast, and Raleigh goes to sleep as soon as the plane lifts off the tarmac. He's too comfy with his head resting against Chuck's shoulder to even bother to stay awake. Considering what's lying ahead of them, he thinks it's wise to get as much rest as possible. Chuck seems to agree, because Raleigh feels his head coming to rest against Raleigh's hair right before he falls asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo, did you like it? Feed my wee authour's soul with a word or two? Let me know that (if?) there are still people reading this despite me being sooooooo bad at posting regularly. I apologise... *offers cookies*
> 
> Btw, next up is the World Victory Tour, and it's going to be a very long fic (it's already at 12.000 words and it's not finished yet...)


End file.
